Wreay Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They know that it is an important part of the community.

Pupils enjoy their regular assemblies in the village church. If they have worked hard or behaved well, they know that they might receive a certificate to take home. Pupils are happy in school.

They enjoy spending time with their friends at breaktimes. They see their school as a welcoming, friendly place.

There are high expectations for pupils' achievement.

This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils listen carefully in lessons. They know that if they find something difficult, they can ask their teachers for help.
<...br/>Pupils achieve well, including in the early years.

Pupils understand the school's rules and typically follow them each day. For example, in the early years, children learn to share resources and to tidy up when it is time.

Older pupils behave sensibly and show good manners when eating their lunches together. This helps to make the school a calm and orderly place.

The school provides a range of activities for pupils' development beyond the academic curriculum.

For example, pupils can participate in sports, art and craft clubs. They are especially proud of the school choir, which takes part in local festivals and competitions. Pupils contribute to their local community in a range of ways, for example, by supporting the local food bank.

These experiences help pupils to consider the needs of others.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum for pupils across a broad range of subjects. All pupils learn from this strong curriculum, including those with SEND.

The curriculum contains the important knowledge that the school most wants pupils to learn in each subject. Careful consideration has been given to the order in which pupils should learn this important knowledge from the early years to Year 6. This is to ensure that pupils build new knowledge firmly upon what they already know.

Teachers use their strong subject knowledge to provide interesting lessons that help pupils to learn. They check regularly to ensure that pupils understand the learning provided, before moving on to the next learning. This helps to ensure that pupils' knowledge is secure.

The school uses information from assessments to make any adjustments to teaching that might be necessary to help pupils to learn well.

In most subjects, the school has a clear overview of the impact of the curriculum on pupils' knowledge over time. This enables leaders to make improvements to the curriculum if needed.

In a small number of subjects, the development of such a clear overview is at an early stage. In these subjects, there is a more limited understanding of the impact of the curriculum on pupils' ability to know more and remember more over time.Reading is at the heart of the curriculum.

In the Nursery class, children relish the stories that they hear each day. They learn to listen carefully to sounds in the world around them. This prepares them well for phonics, which begins straight away in the Reception class.

Children enjoy learning new sounds and letters in their daily phonics lessons. They learn more complex sounds in Year 1. Adults make sure that pupils keep practising the sounds that they already know, so that they do not forget any.

Any pupils who need to catch up receive prompt and effective support. Pupils have plenty of opportunities to hone their reading skills. Reading books are carefully matched to the sounds and letters that pupils have learned.

This ensures that pupils learn to read with confidence and success.

The school's library is filled with exciting and appealing books. Pupils enjoy visiting the library to select books that they can take home and share with their parents and carers.

Pupils' strong reading knowledge helps them to read and to understand important vocabulary in other curriculum subjects. Pupils of all ages develop a real love of reading and achieve well, including those with SEND.

Pupils who may have SEND are identified quickly.

These pupils benefit, when necessary, from careful adaptations to enable them to access the curriculum successfully. Effective communication between the school, parents and a range of professionals ensures that pupils' needs are fully met. The school secures expert help when it is needed.

Pupils with SEND achieve similarly well to other pupils.

Pupils generally behave well. They develop positive attitudes to school and attend regularly.

In lessons, pupils try not to disturb each other by chatting too much. This helps everyone to get on with their learning.

The school ensures that pupils learn about a range of cultures and faiths.

Pupils develop an understanding of values such as democracy, tolerance and the rule of law. In age-appropriate ways, pupils learn about difference and diversity in their own community and in the wider world. This important learning prepares them well for life in British society.

The trust works closely with all leaders to ensure that the school is effective. Leaders have due regard for any impact on staff's workload and well-being in the decisions that they make about the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, the school's understanding of the impact of the curriculum is at an early stage of development. This limits the school's ability to make sure that the curriculum in these subjects is preparing pupils for the next stage in their education effectively. The school should ensure that there is a clear overview of the impact of the curriculum for pupils from the early years to Year 6.